Practical Insights (Blog)

Ask anyone in the US Chemicals industry and they’ll probably tell you that they are battling against some fairly significant headwinds. Low-cost global competition, domestic competitive convergence, the negative impact of a strong dollar and high US labor, maintenance and operating costs all make it increasingly difficult for companies to remain competitive and make a profit.

The vast majority of restaurant industry CEOs and brand owners are fully aware that consistency is the key to success. Guests expect to have the Brand Promise met regardless of location. However, senior executives frequently struggle to ensure that the fundamentals of restaurant management are being consistently applied across their brand.

The fortunes of an organization can rise and fall on the relationships it has with its suppliers. Companies who fail to actively manage their supply chain place their business at risk of becoming uncompetitive in their market or paying inflated prices to incumbent suppliers for lower quality goods. In this situation, disintermediation or 'cutting out the middleman' is an attractive concept for many companies who want to drive competitiveness, improve product time-to-market and get the best possible deal via global sourcing.